Following a successful season with a win in the state finals, Athletic Specialist Larry Hurd has brought in a top candidate to succeed Chad Beswick in the head coaching position for the boys’ tennis team. Franck Soulerot, a French native, is excited to continue the boys’ tennis dominance in his inaugural season as head coach.

Soulerot played tennis for all his life and decided to continue this journey by taking his talents overseas to become a student-athlete in the United States. He began his career at Seward County College where he was the Region VI No. 6 singles champion. Once he got his associate’s degree in psychology at Seward, he transferred to play at Middle Georgia State, where he completed his bachelor’s in psychology.

Once he graduated from Middle Georgia State, he decided to begin his coaching career at the University of Indianapolis, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for the Men’s tennis team.

“I like coaching because I like sharing goals with people. When I am coaching and that person wins matches or gets better I feel rewarded, I feel as if I won as well,” Soulerot said.

After coaching for a total of three years, combining UINDY with coaching experience at a tennis academy in DC, he continues his coaching career here at WJ where he hopes to continue the program’s success.

“My aspiration is to win as many matches as we can and would also like to be a state winner and conference winner,” Soulerot said.

Before the start of the season, Soulerot has already been communicating with some of the players to set goals for the season.

“I was talking with the captain and basically the goals that he set up for himself [and the team] and the goals that I have for the team,” Soulerot said.

The season begins on Thursday, March 21 with an away match against Montgomery Blair High School.

“I’m super excited with a new coach this season that is very experienced and can bring an intensity to develop our players and make our team successful,” senior tennis player Thomas Richardell said.